Alexis Lestrange
by Keith the Evil Dark Lord
Summary: "The masses will always fear what they are unsure of..." even children. When Bellatrix turns out to be with child, the Ministry is in an uproar. Fearing who the child's father might be, it is only wise to eliminate the future threat before it's born. But Dumbledore is known for meddling for a reason, and sometimes the greater good takes second to what is right.
1. A Tale to Begin

For original series readers: this rewrite is more than just a repost of old chapters freed from grammar mistakes. Important plot errors and backgrounds are being fixed, altered, and even removed. For example, Alexis will be attending first-year classes this time around and have a wand (though she will still have a story to the nickname). The goal is to not only make Alexis less of a Mary-Sue but to also make the story all around better and more original. This means chapters will be heavily edited and in some cases deleted entirely. There will also be plenty of new chapters posted as well. Lastly, I leave the warning that there will be certain major points from the original series getting completely altered, so surprises are to be expected even for you patrons. Lastly, I WILL finish the current series but as I rewrite each book I will be removing it from fanfiction.

AUTHOR'S NOTE TO ALL: While not entirely AU, there are a few significant changes to the canon I find necessary to mention before the story begins:

1.) the Potters were killed a few days after Harry was born. Lily and James, having learned about the prophecy only days after discovering they were with child, have been in hiding months beforehand.

2.) the Lestrange and Barty were sent to the Longbottoms on the same night of Voldemort's attack on Godric Hollows to distract the Order while he went after the Potters himself.

3.) besides the main character, there will be two other reoccurring OC's. All other characters should already exist. It is my goal to keep all other characters in character so if for any reason this does not seem to be the case, feel free to tell me, and I will attempt to fix this or at the very least explain myself. However, liberties will be taken in expanding already canon side characters in creating a background or a more in depth view. Again, feel free to express your opinion on this as I will express mine.

4.) Lastly, Bellatrix is going to be a mother, but it was unknown by both the Ministry and the Order that she was with child until after her capture.

Disclaimer: What is JK Rowling's is JK Rowling's and what is mine is mine. I am making no profit off of this series outside of joy.

* * *

Late at night... October 31, 1980...

Bellatrix Lestrange née Black.

Heiress. Pureblood. Magical prodigy.

Her head lifted high, her eyes sharp, and her feet bare as she stared out the small barred window of her cell into the black nothingness of the night.

Bellatrix Lestrange née Black.

Sadist. Murderer. Death Eater.

A smile more genuine than any she had allowed grace her face in a long time spread across her chapped lips as her hand pressed gently against her round stomach.

Bellatrix Lestrange née Black.

A prisoner of Azkaban. A soon-to-be mother.

"The stars are all gone."

Bellatrix's words, spoken in a once melodic voice that now cracked with the little use it had received outside of screaming, seemed to almost cut like a knife through the silent air. Her fellow inmates did not hear her or acted as if they hadn't at least, as her words were answered by her own.

"But not my star," she replied to herself, her voice now only a whisper. Both of her hands possessively encompassed her belly. "My star remains. Will you shine, precious star? Will you glow bright? Hmm? Or will you burn out before you can?"

Bellatrix hummed softly, her mind cluttered with thoughts she could not understand. She was cold. Her cell was like a cave with no sun. But she smiled, her arms snug around her stomach.

"Will you twinkle my little star?" she asked aloud, her feet swaying as she rocked herself back and forth. "Twinkle, twinkle... little star."

A sudden and sharp pain struck Bellatrix. She gasped more out of surprise as she stumbled because of it. And then she screamed, warm liquid running down her legs.

.

* * *

Weeks earlier... August 13, 1980...

Tomas McPherson had always wanted to be an Auror. On his mother's side, it was a family tradition for the eldest to become one and as the only child of his late parents, he didn't want to disappoint. That, and since McPherson was a child, he had always been enamored with the idea of being the hero who caught the bad guy. He liked helping others and saving the day like any true Gryffindor, but he also found it to be his responsibility to do so. Failure was not, nor ever would be an option.

But today...

His throat was tight as he looked down at Barty Crouch Jr.'s crumpled body before him. Six rapid Stupefies had hit the man square in the chest as Tom McPherson, and his fellow Aurors had charged into the Longbottom Manor fearing the worst. They had expected (with an unfathomable amount of dread) that they were going to come face to face with You-Know-Who and had wisely chosen to charge in wands at the ready in hopes to at the very least put up a fight before... Shaking his head, McPherson refused to finished whatever dark thought his mind had been heading towards.

Wordlessly, he bent down and checked Barty's pulse before casting a quick binding spell. In hindsight, he should have put the binding spell on the Death Eater first. He could only imagine what his uncle would say if he had seen him make such a rookie mistake nearly two years into his Auror training.

"Constant Vigilance," he muttered morbidly to himself as he returned his wand up his left sleeve, ready if he needed it, before rising to his feet once more.

The sitting room in which McPherson stood in was a ruin of what it had once been. The paneling on the walls was scarred with burns, deep gashes, and in some places missing entirely while the furniture laid litter in pieces of broken timber more suitable for firewood than anything else. A vase McPherson remembered vaguely of once containing Floo Powered had been shattered against the wall parallel to the fireplace that's mantel it once sat on.

Near the arch leading to the study and leaning against the wall was an unconscious Rodolphus Lestrange. It had taken five of their best to knock the man down. McPherson doubted they would have succeeded had the Lestrange Lord not taken a blow meant for his wife rather unexpectedly but thank Merlin for small blessings. Said woman had escaped briefly to the study, hurtling a bleeding and sprawled out Rabastan Lestrange in the hall, before finally being restrained by the remaining - as two of his comrades had been injured too severely to continue the fight - Aurors.

McPherson could still hear the crazed witch spewing venomous and sharp words and promises of pain and suffering as he moved towards the fireplace where another Auror knelt. For, lying in painfully unnatural angles before the fireplace were the Longbottoms themselves.

"There's nothing..." whispered his fellow Auror and partner Carter to himself. "Nothing I can do..."

Wordlessly, McPherson placed a firm hand on his friend's shoulder, knowing that if he spoke his voice would also shake with such horror and helplessness. He didn't know what he would say anyways. What could he say as two of his dear friends laid before him completely unable to recognize him.

"Healers are on their way," called another Auror from the study. It was Dawlish if McPherson had to guess. He couldn't really hear anything over the shrieks of Bellatrix Lestrange.

Carter jumped to his feet all of a sudden, stumbling slightly in his haste. McPherson nearly fell over himself at the Auror's quickness.

"Neville!" shouted Carter, clear panic in his voice as he tried to take off and search the house for the two weeks old but McPherson caught him.

"His gran, Car," said McPherson, wincing internally when his voice did, in fact, come out as helpless and weak. "She has him. He's with his gran. He's okay, Car. He's okay."

Carter still looked a rabbit about to sprint away as his partner tried to calm him but the words seemed to process however slowly. Eventually, he quit resisting and nodded his head once in understanding just as Bellatrix was finally silenced.

Neville Longbottom was safe, but his parents would probably never recover from the state they had been driven to. He was just another orphan of this unforgiving war.

"Son of a - get the healer!"

Instinctively, McPherson sprinted to the study with Carter at the cry of a fellow Auror. He recognized the voice this time: Amelia Bones, the squad's leader.

He burst into the room seconds after Carter before stumbling to a complete halt at the sight before him. A glamor he had not known Bellatrix had been wearing was removed. It revealed a distinct bump in her stomach, and as she screamed voicelessly, McPherson did not need to hear his fellow Auror to reach his conclusion.

"She's pregnant..."

.

* * *

Early morning, before sunrise... November 1, 1980...

The cells surrounding her were no longer silent, but Bellatrix did not hear what their occupants were saying. Her own breathing was far too labored to understand anything. Hands were supporting her upright, and she wanted to bite them for daring to touch her, but she was too tired to do anything but breathe heavily. Another spasm of pain hit her, and she howled violently instead her back arching.

"The baby's crowning," said the healer to the other steadying her carefully on the cell floor. "She's going to need to push -"

Bellatrix screamed loudly once more, cutting off whatever the healer had planned to say next. She could hear faintly cries from the cells around her, but she ignored them all until another sounded in her own cell.

"Dear Merlin," swore the man holding her as the healer lifted the wailing infant into the air.

Bellatrix tried to reach for her child. How dare the healer cradle her baby with such care! She had to take her little star into her arms and away from the healer. It was she that should calm the infant not him! She reached forward demanding her child but her vision blurred.

The man holding her upright slowly lowered her onto her back and away from her precious star as the healer wrapped the child in a warm cloth. As the man approached the healer rocked the baby carefully, calming its cries down to faint whimpers.

"My star," she murmured, her voice far too frail for her liking. "Give me my star."

"What do we do now?" asked the healer to the man, ignoring Bellatrix altogether. "The Minister, she wants -"

"I know what the Minister wants," cut in the man, carefully taking the child into his arms. "I also know what Crouch said for us to do."

"They think the baby's hers and -"

"I know," repeated the man once more. However, he didn't sound annoyed as he too rocked the babe in his arms. "If she hadn't gone into labor so early... by Morgana..."

The blurry figure of the healer shifted side to side in Bellatrix's vision.

"So what are we-"

"I'm sorry, Car," whispered the man but Bellatrix heard him nonetheless. As her vision blurred more and more, she saw as the healer fell to the floor from a stunner cast wordlessly. He did not move afterward. Bellatrix did not care. She just wanted her child.

"My star," she called out again, her voice as hoarse as ever. Her hand was extended out limply. "Give me my star."

But the man did not look at her. Instead, his blurry form shifted her child into one arm before grabbing the healer by the leg and dragging him out of the cell.

"No," she croaked. "Give me my child! Give me my star!"

She tried to move but couldn't. The cell door closed once the man had successfully dragged the Healer into the hall with him. Only then did his blurry image look at her.

"You should know," he murmured, "your baby is a girl... I'm sorry you never get to know her."

She tried to call out, but only a whimper like that of a trapped animal escaped her lips. Her star, like the man, disappeared as her vision faded to black.

.

When Bellatrix next awoke it was to a painful groan outside her cell. The healer was rubbing his forehead groggily, leaning against her cell door.

"You," Bellatrix hissed.

The healer was startled but not fast enough to move. In an insane combination between a jump and a crawl across the cell, Bellatrix latched onto his robes keeping him from escaping.

"Where's my daughter?" she howled, digging her nails viciously into the man's arms as he fought to get away still only half aware. "Where's my star?"

Like a monster from a children's story she howled and tore at the man as if trying to rip him apart with her bare hands. He struggled to get away but finally succeeded only after Bellatrix just barely missed clawing out his eyes. Her howls echoed through the prison even long after the dementors arrived.

"GIVE ME MY STAR!"

.

* * *

Days later...

Tomas McPherson had always wanted to be an Auror. On his mother's side, it was a family tradition for the eldest to become one and as the only child of his late parents, he didn't want to disappoint.

But today...

Looking down at the small child before him, McPherson accepted what he truly was - a fugitive. He had broken no law nor oath, yet he was a fugitive all the same. He had intervened in Ministry business - highly sensitive and extremely secret Ministry business. Now his name and image were going to pay for it.

"They are accusing you of being a Death Eater."

McPherson did not bother to look up as the familiar voice filled the air. He did not need to see as his old headmaster took up a place at his side.

"I know," said McPherson softly. He kept his eyes trained on the baby girl before him staring aimlessly with her wide green eyes.

"You will never be able to show your face, glamoured or otherwise, in Great Britain again," continued his companion.

"I know," McPherson repeated just as softly as he had the first time.

"Was it worth it?"

He answered first with a nod. "Look at her? She's just a child. So small and... pudgy. They wanted to snuff her out like a candle just because they feared that her father might be... how could I, how could anyone just stand by and let that happen, professor?"

The professor smiled sadly, patting McPherson's shoulder kindly.

"I have come to the conclusion that the masses will always fear what they are unsure of," he said calmly. "And fear makes even the greatest of people do the worst of things. It takes someone with incredible will to stop such things from happening."

"I just wish I didn't have to," murmured McPherson more to himself. "But I'm not going to let anyone else down. Never again. She needed me, Dumbledore."

"That I do not doubt," replied the headmaster with a small twinkle in his eyes. "And now she will continue to need you for years to come. Are you ready for such a task?"

McPherson nodded, softly brushing his thumb against the babe's cheek, making the little one coo.

"I've already made my decision, professor," he said confidently. "I'm not letting this one down. She's my responsibility, and I'll see this until the end... just... look out for Al, will you? And Car. But don't tell them. I don't want them getting dragged into this as well."

"I'm afraid," started Dumbledore, "that in time, someday the girl will be just as much their responsibility as yours, but, until then, you have my word."

McPherson nodded curtly.

"Good," he said, watching as the child's eyes finally drifted close once again. "Thank you again, headmaster. I... I didn't know who else to turn to that wouldn't... I just knew that if this whole mess went south that you..."

Despite the situation, Dumbledore chuckled kindly.

"I understand, dear boy," he said with another twinkle behind his half-moon glasses. "But you mustn't waste any more time. It is time for you to go but before you do, I must ask, what have you decided to call the dear girl?"

McPherson smiled once more down at the girl before finally looking up at the old man before him. A bittersweet memory of a forever young girl running happily through the meadow came to mind.

"I named her after my cousin, Alexis."


	2. Amo Tu

_**I know that I need to post chapter four of the Rise of a Dark Lord, but my muse keeps pointing me in this direction.**_

 _ **Review responses at the bottom.**_

 _ ***Insert disclaimer here***_

* * *

13 June 1991

Alexis knew she was in trouble the moment her guardian walked out of her fifth-grade classroom. His blue eyes, while partly hidden by his curly hair that seemed to always be in need of a hair cut, zoned in on her as soon as he stepped into the hallway where she sat waiting. Accepting defeat, Alexis rose from her seat on the bench and followed Tom to their truck without a word.

The silent drive home was unnerving to the ten-year-old and altogether painful. Alexis couldn't stand silence, especially on the long drive home. Of course, Tom knew that. And Alexis knew that meant Tom was waiting for her to speak before coming down like a hammer of disappointment at whatever it was she had done this time. She tried her best, but the need for noise won out only halfway home.

"So..." began Alexis, unsure as to what to say. Luckily, or unluckily being more likely, Tom was prepared.

"So," he repeated teasingly before continuing with, "I had a rather interesting conversation with your teacher."

"Yeah?" asked Alexis, nervously kicking her feet back and forth. She already knew what was coming.

"Yeah," said Tom. "She went on and on about what a pleasure it was to have such a bright student in her class all year."

Alexis didn't take the bait. She knew from experience Tom was far from done.

"But what she found really amusing was how you had the funniest habit of almost always knowing exactly what she was going to say before she even said it. She said, and I quote, 'It's almost as if Alexis can read my mind.'"

Alexis winced. There it was.

"Weird," she mused weakly.

"Hex," warned Tom, using Alexis nickname she had earned when she was only six.

Bowing her head in shame, her wavy black hair fell in front of her bright green eyes.

Tom sighed.

"Hex, we've talked about this. You can't use Legilimency on others, especially Muggles. They have no way to defend themselves."

"I don't mean too!" Alexis argued, wincing when her words sounded like a whine. "You know I can't help it..."

She really couldn't. Ever since she was a young child, Alexis had the ability to accidentally stumble into other people's minds. Accidentally and stumble being the key words.

At first, Tom had thought she just had the uncanny ability to read people's expressions until one day he felt a wandering tendril of Alexis's mind probing the outer layer of his Occlumency shields. He doubted that even he would have noticed had learning at least the minimum amount of Occlumency not been mandatory in his Auror training. Of course, Alexis had not known what she was doing at all, having dosed off on the couch with his old copy of Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them still open on her lap. Still, to be sure, Tom had pushed back with his shields ever so slightly only to discover just how sensitive Alexis's wandering tendril was - if the several feet Alexis jumped off the couch in response was anything to go off of.

The wandering tendril of Alexis's mind had only gotten worse as she aged. She often had to avoid making eye contact with her fellow classmates and teachers just to lower the chances of accidentally reading their train of thought. If she let her mind wander, so did the curious tendril and she would have the thoughts of others running through her mind so clearly that it almost seemed as if the person was talking to her. On some occasions, Alexis had mistakenly thought that was exactly what was going on and would reply aloud. She nearly always received a raised eyebrow or a blush in response.

Tom assured her that being a natural born Legilimens was an amazingly rare magical gift. He told her that most wizards and witches failed to even begin training their mind to read others thoughts and the few that did succeed almost always needed to use their wands and say the incantation aloud for it to even work. Tom was confident that having this gift foreshadowed her growing up to be a very powerful witch, but Alexis had her doubts, not only with Legilimency being a gift but in whether or not she was a witch.

She knew for a fact that Tom was a wizard. She had seen him on countless occasions pull his wand out of his sleeve for things as extraordinary as constructing a tree house without lifting a single hammer to things as ordinary as lighting their fireplace without a match. However, outside of Legilimency, Alexis had never used magic. She had attempted quite a few times too, each attempt ending as disastrously as the first and earning her the nickname Hex.

Even her Legilimency was disastrous. Not only could she not control who's mind she stumbled upon unless Alexis focused very carefully, once she had even transmitted her own thoughts to her teacher. She had been humming silently to an Eagles song Tom had a habit of playing on the record every morning when her teacher had stopped mid explanation to what made up a nucleus to belt out the next line of Hotel California. As her teacher apologized, completely unsure what had come over her, Alexis's classmates all laughed. Alexis had chuckled awkwardly along with them, but she hadn't found the situation humorous at all.

But that had been years ago. Since then Tom has been helping her as much as he could with controlling her wandering tendril, and so far it had helped. Yet Alexis would still slip every once in a while leading to conversations like this one far too often.

Tom shook his head, a frown crossing his features.

"I know you don't mean it, Alexis," he attempted. "I'm just trying to protect you is all. When you're older, you going to be a part of the Wizarding World and while Legilimency isn't common, Occlumency is, and if people feel you brushing against their mind, unintentional or not, you-"

"We," said Alexis.

Tom raised an eyebrow. Alexis continued.

"You said I was going to be a part of the Wizarding World," pointed out Alexis. "You meant we."

Tom's frown deepened. He flexed his fingers on the steering wheel.

"Don't try and change the subject, Hex."

"But you always make it sound like I'm going to be doing it alone," persisted Alexis. "You never say we. It's like once I join this stupid Wizarding World, you'll just disappear on me."

"The Wizarding World is not stupid, Hex," said Tom.

Alexis just crossed her arms.

"Now who's changing the subject?" she asked. "Are you just going to abandon me once I get that stupid Hogwarts letter next year?"

The truck veered sharply to the right, jerking Alexis in her seat. Tom parked the truck on the curve before turning his full attention to Alexis.

"What in Merlin's name has gotten into you?" he asked, crossing his own arms in an identical method as to how Alexis had moments before. "I'm not going to abandon you, and I thought you were excited about finally going to Hogwarts! What changed all of a sudden?"

"You always talk about how, when I'm eleven I'll go to Hogwarts and 'be a part of the Wizarding World,'" huffed Alexis. "What if I don't want to? What if I want to stay in the states? What if I'd rather just stay here with you instead?"

Tom looked taken aback for a moment. His blue eyes softened while also filling with something Alexis was afraid to identify. Could it have been regret?

"Alexis," he began before shaking his head. "Hex, you belong in the Wizarding World, Great Britain specifically. It's your heritage, where -"

"My parents come from?" cut in Alexis. "The ones you haven't told me anything about, not even their names? And England is your home, not mine. I'm an American."

"Only on paper," muttered Tom. "Technically your Azkabanise but that's not a real thing. And how many times do I have to remind you that I am not English, I'm Irish."

"Only half," pointed out Alexis stubbornly. "You father was from London - where you were raised! Which means your English and I'm American."

Tom groaned. Arguments like this were far too common between the two of them, and Alexis always seemed to find a way to get more information from her guardian as he refused to share much otherwise. It was how she knew Tom's real last name was McPherson and not Carter, which he used as her false last name as well. It was also how she knew that Tom had been raised by his uncle (an actual Irishman) after his parents died in an accident. And it was also how Alexis discovered that both her parents were very much alive.

"That argument is so faulty," grumbled Tom.

"Is not," said Alexis.

"Is too," countered Tom. "By that logic your French and American... well, maybe."

"My dad was French?" asked Alexis, horrorstricken. Then her face twisted with confusion. "Wait, maybe? Do you even know who my father is?"

She had meant it as a joke but when Tom ignored her to instead start the truck again. Alexis frowned.

"Tom, you do know who my parents are, right?" she asked skeptically. "Because you promised, when I was eleven, you'd tell me and if you lied I'll -"

"Relax, Hex," chuckled Tom. "I'm not going to break my promise as long as I'm still around to keep it."

"Which is why I'm asking you whether or not you're just going to leave me in the Wizarding World to fend for myself," said Alexis. "'cause if you are, I'm going to figure out this Legilimency stuff, so I can pry the information out of your mind myself."

Tom laughed, shaking his head.

"Merlin, you're going to be hell when you're a teenager," he chuckled. "I'm not going to leave you to fend for yourself, Hex. I promise."

"Good," said Alexis. "Because I'd miss you if you did."

Tom's playful eyes softened with her words.

"Amo tu," whispered Tom.

Alexis felt the effects of the spell instantly. Phantom arms embraced her in a hug that had the magical effect of making her feel safe and calm all at once. The embrace was like a shield or even a suit of armor protecting Alexis from the world outside the truck.

Contrary to what Tom liked to believe, he was dreadful at comforting people outside of an awkward hug and a pat on the back. He blamed it on the gruff man that was his uncle raising him. So Tom had created a spell to help give the necessary affection children need to develop correctly and used it on Alexis whenever he thought an awkward hug simply wouldn't do. Alexis didn't mind. She enjoyed the feel of magic around her.

When the truck turned onto the long gravel driveway to the house, it backfired so loudly Alexis jumped.

"She's never done that," said Alexis about the truck. Tom was frowning deeply. "Guess the ten years have finally caught up to her," Alexis added with a laugh.

"I guess so," Tom murmured back, looking unconvinced. The backfire had sounded suspiciously similar to... shaking his head, Tom let a smile make its way onto his face.

"Spaghetti tonight?" he asked.

"And we listen to Lynyrd Skynyrd tonight?" added Alexis, grinning hopefully.

"What about the Eagles?"

"We always listen to the Eagles," giggled Alexis.

"Because they're fantastic!" defended Tom with a chuckle of his own. "Hotel California is how I survived my O.W.L.s fifth year."

"I thought coffee was how you survived your O.W.L.s?" questioned Alexis.

"Those were N.E.W.T.s, Hex."

"Ah, I see."

At last, the house came into view. The house wasn't very particular. It's most distinct features being the second floors large, oval window above the front door and the large, red stone chimney most of the right wall. Beside the house was once red shed that's paint was slowly peeling away. In the tree line behind the house was Alexis's treehouse Tom had built a few years back and was where he often found his charge reading or drawing in the summer.

Tom parked the truck in between the house and the shed but didn't turn the engine off.

"So, Lynyrd Skynyrd?" asked Alexis.

Tom sighed dramatically. "Fine but Second Helping album only and for the love of Merlin, we are not listening to Sweet Home Alabama."

"But it's the best song on the album!" cried Alexis.

"We live in New York, Hex," stated Tom.

"These borders of the state will not define me!" exclaimed Alexis dramatically.

Alexis threw open her door to the truck, grabbed her bag, and ran for the porch while giggling the whole way. She disappeared inside seconds later.

Sighing out of his nose, Tom shook his head at Alexis's antics.

With a twist of the key, he killed the engine before opening his door and climbing out of the truck.

His boots hit the gravel driveway with a familiar crunch. He let his eyes scan the landscape around him carefully, taking in the worn shed and tree line as his eyebrows knotted together.

Something didn't feel right. Tom could feel it. It made his wand hand twitch anxiously.

A sudden movement in his peripheral quickly drew Tom's attention to the shed.

With a fluid motion one only gained after years of practice, Tom summoned his wand into his hand from the worn holster that he still wore after all these years. He made his way to the shed, its need for a paint job becoming more apparent with each step.

The quickening of his heartbeat as adrenaline began pumping its way through his system sent an odd sense of nostalgia through Tom as the wave of magic rippled in the air. Had he not spent the last ten years away from all forms of magic outside his own and Alexis he wouldn't have felt the faint mist of an unfamiliar magical aurora.

His earlier fear had been confirmed. The sound earlier hadn't been the truck backfire but the crack of Apparition. The Ministry had found them, and he knew without a doubt that behind the shed door stood a disillusioned and fully trained Auror.

Tom took one deep breath. He let it out evenly.

"I really need to get some new paint on that," Tom grumbled aloud.

Then, against every protesting instinct in his body, Tom turned around as if to make his way back into the house and counting silently to three.

One.

Tom took his first step towards the front porch.

Two.

He tightened his grip on his wand.

Three.

Tom dove left and behind the truck just narrowly dodging a blur of red light that shot through the air where his body had just vacated. With trained precision that seemed completely unaffected by his lack of practice in the last ten years, Tom sent his own stunner right back at the now thrown open door of the shed. The red light that left his wand connected directly with the wizard's chest before sending him flying back inside the shed. The poor shed made a great creak in protest, but Tom ignore. His focus was instead on the house, which had suddenly come to life with noise.

Without hesitation, Tom rolled under the truck as the front door was thrown open and footsteps sounded against the creaking porch and gravel path from the backyard. His mind went into overdrive as he rolled out on the other side of the truck and took shelter.

The footfalls ceased. Tom took two deep breaths before breaking the silence.

"Unless you're Girl Scouts, I'm afraid we're just not interested in whatever you're selling," he called, careful to remain covered behind the truck.

A deep, authoritative voice replied, "Tomas McPherson, by order of the British Ministry of Magic, you are charged with housing a fugitive and fornicating with an enemy of the state and Death Eaters. Discard your wand and come out with your hands above your head or we will use force."

"Right," said Tom, clicking his tongue. "Is that you, John? Merlin, you sound old. Bet you're balding too, aren't you?"

A clear huff of indigitation was the response. Tom used the Auror's uproar as a distraction to glance under the truck. Three Auror issued pairs of boots greeted him.

Excellent. Three Tom could handle, but he knew that there had to be more inside. While four was a standard team size on a mission, Tom was certain there was at least one more team inside. They wouldn't all leave the house unless they had found Alexis and even then… He'd rather not think about it. Alexis would know what to do in trouble. The girl found it regularly enough. Yes, Alexis would be okay. At least she would be okay long enough for him to get to her anyways.

"This is your last chance, McPherson," growled the head Auror. "Come out peacefully, and you won't be harmed."

Ignoring the demand, Tom planned his next move. Wordlessly, he cast a cutting charm on the fuel line of the truck.

"Sorry, old girl," he murmured to his beloved truck. Then aloud, Tom asked, "Do the Yanks know you're here, John?"

Tom's words were met with awkward squirming of the three Aurors.

"Honestly," laughed Tom. "We all know just how twisted their little red, white, and blue panties get when we do this. Remember Truman?"

"Enough!" snapped the head Auror. "You've left us with no choice, McPherson. Men –"

"The car, sir!" called another Auror. "It's moving!"

"Son of a – McPherson's escaping!"

The three Aurors charged forwards towards the truck, completely unaware that not only was it not on but that Tom was not inside of it. Even worse still, they had no idea that it had been boobytrapped until it was too late.

" _Incendio_!"

The truck went up in flames, sending the three poor Aurors flying from the force of the explosion. Tom, who had disillusioned himself and hid beside the shed, took that as his cue to make a run for the house.

"Hex!" he cried, crashing through the front door.

A loud muffled cry in pain was what Tom was greeted with as the front door slammed into another Auror, who had been on his way outside to see what had just happened. Without a second thought, Tom shot a disarming and stunner at the Auror before he had any chance to react.

"Hex!" shouted Tom, running towards the stairs.

Again, a loud cry was what he received in response followed by a, "Why you little –"

"Get out of my house, you communist!" cried Alexis's very distinct voice. It was trailed by another distinct noise Tom knew quite well from Alexis's baseball games. It sounded like a home-run hit.

Tom stumbled into his own room to find the ten-year-old swinging her little league bat wildly at a harassed looking Auror favoring his right arm that seemed awkward shaped. It would have been funny had Alexis not looked terrified.

"Stupefy!" shouted Tom, sending the Auror flying. He landed in a heap next to his unconscious partner.

"Tom!" cried Alexis in relief, diving into her guardian's arms. "I thought they got you!"

Despite it all, Tom smiled cheekily at his little charger's genuine concern. "I'm tougher than I look, Hex. Are you alright?"

Alexis nodded her head yes.

"I was under your bed looking for the album when these guys came in," she explained. "They both tried cursing me but I ran into the closet, 'cause that's where you make me keep my bat, and then I just started swing and, and –"

"It's alright, Hex," cut in Tom. "But we need to go. Remember Floo Powder? I've got an emergency connection, but we've got to hurry. I'm pretty sure there's more of them, and the one's outside won't be down for long. Come."

Tom all but dragged Alexis out of the room and towards the stairs.

"I thought Floo Powder was a joke!" the ten-year-old exclaimed. "Who in their right mind travels in fireplaces?"

"Wizards, Hex," groaned Tom, not at all finding this the right time for a lesson on the wizarding world. "Now will you please drop that bat?"

"It was a Christmas present!"

"Hex!"

"Why can't we take the truck instead?" persisted Alexis, not releasing the bat.

"I blew her up!"

"You wha –"

" _Stupefy_!"

Tom grabbed Alexis just in time to pull her off the last step of the stairs and out of the way the stunner sent their direction.

"Fireplace! NOW!" Tom snapped, sending his own counterspell back up the steps.

Alexis only heard what sounded like a body thumping down the steps as she scurried over to the fireplace. She hastily tore the safety gate out of the way. Tom joined her seconds later after magically slamming the front door back on its hinges and into place. He grabbed a pot off the mantel and pulled a small bag of dust out of it.

"Get in," Tom ordered, motioning towards the fireplace with his wand and lighting it with green flames.

"Won't they just follow us?" Alexis asked, hesitating slightly. Her grip on her bat was becoming white-knuckled.

"It's a one-trip only fireplace," replied Tom, giving Alexis a little shove. "We're going together."

Swallowing, Alexis nodded her head.

"Okay."

Alexis stepped inside the fireplace, bending her head even at her small height to get inside. The ten-year-old was amazed as the green flames seemed unable to touch her or her clothing.

Tom moved to join her.

" _Crucio_!"

Alexis screamed when Tom suddenly cried out in pain.

"Missed one," said a shrilling voice followed by a girlish giggle as Tom tumbled over.

"Tom!" Alexis cried, moving to help her guardian.

"No," shouted Tom, shoving Alexis roughly back inside the fireplace. The girl fell backward, her head hitting the stone wall painfully. "I'm sorry, Hex. Amo tu."

With her eyes watering from the pain, Alexis didn't see what Tom did next. She felt his spell hit her, and she heard a series of spells get fire between Tom and the last Auror - perhaps two, as another voice filled the air - but it wasn't until her vision cleared that she realized why Tom was apologizing.

In his raised fist was Floo Powder.

"Tom, don't you –"

Alexis plea was silenced as Tom threw the powder in the fireplace and bellowed, "Hogwarts!"

The fireplace and Alexis were consumed by green flames before the fire went out completely. Left behind was an empty, soot covered fireplace. Something about that made Tom smile despite being on the ground and panting from the effects of some unfriendly spells.

"Now I'll come in quietly," he said with a smile at the three Ministry sent wizards.

The head Auror had returned, a trickle of blood running from his right ear most likely due to an exploded ear drum. He stood next to the woman that had cursed him in the back with an Unforgivable. And next to the woman, another man.

"McPherson," said the man.

"Swine," replied Tom. "You're not going to take me in, are you?"

"Not that kind of mission," said the man evenly.

"Suppose not, with her here," snapped Tom, trying to sit up. He sent the woman a dirty look. "Takes some real hate to cast an Unforgivable. But you've always just been a big ball of pink hate, haven't you, Cracknell?"

The woman's nostrils flared with dubious intent, but the man stepped in front of her. He trained his wand on Tom. Tom couldn't help but be surprised.

"You're doing it?" he asked.

The man nodded.

"Minister's orders."

"Bagnold?" inquired Tom, wincing as his wounds.

"Fudge," corrected the man.

"Fudge?" repeated Tom, gobsmacked. "Britains screwed."

"I think you have more pressing matters to worry about," pointed out the man. "Do you have anything left to say?"

"Like my last words?" asked Tom. He gave a pondering look. "I'd say something about fighting the good fight or something, but all the good lines have been used already. Suppose I'll settle for these two: I'm sorry."

The man's wand never lowered as he said, "That's three words."

Tom just shrugged. "Never was good at math."

"Or goodbyes," said the man. Tom stiffened at that. "Goodbye, Tom. _Avada Kedavra_!"

* * *

Review Responses:

 **HazelVex** : Yes. In fact, your pain is what drives me. If it helps, McPherson and Carter are getting a far more developed background now. I'm glad you understand, though. It's going to be tough rewriting all the heartache and frustration too.

 **littlelizruth** : the original will only be available until I've caught up to it in the rewrite. That means after I finish one book the original copy is coming down. No PDFs.

 **WHCnelson** : I'm glad you enjoyed the start. Hopefully, you'll like her interactions with the crew too. As for her father, that's going to be fun :D

 **phoenixfelicis07** : the answer to your Amo Tu question will appear soon. I plan on keeping Hex's uniqueness but trying to tone down anything that makes her seem too Mary Sue. Truthfully, I'm still debating on the wand part. But I am finishing the original tale so don't freak out. I'm not cruel enough to do that to you

 **askousen44** : the original will be finished. It would be unforgivable of me not to after getting as far as we did. Just don't be surprised if the tale changes in the rewrite.

 **Raven that flies at night** : Glad you like it. More to come

 **Lizyeh2000** : here's some more!

 _ **Next chapter will be Hogwarts!**_


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